The last time Indiana missed its deadline for passing a budget and had to shut down the government was during the Civil War.
But on Monday, as lawmakers raced to hammer out an agreement over school funding, state agencies began preparing 31,000 workers to be temporarily out of a job. Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels has warned residents that most of the state’s services — including its parks, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and state-regulated casinos — would be shuttered unless a budget is passed today.
Indiana is one of five states — along with Arizona, California, Mississippi and Pennsylvania — bracing for possible shutdowns this week as time runs out for lawmakers to close billion-dollar gaps in their fiscal 2010 budgets.
I have some dear friends who are in Honduras doing missionary work. I received the following email from them:
We arrived in San Pedro Sula early this morning. Yesterday, we were told that a peaceful demonstration would take place in El Progreso and San Pedro Sula and that we should leave early this morning. We had a 45 min delay in El Progreso because of tires set on fire at one of the bridges going to the factories. All was peaceful, we just had to wait until the fires were low enough for the tires to be removed from the bridge. When the tires were removed, we proceeded without any more incidents to San Pedro.
Today is a holiday for the city of San Pedro Sula, because today is St. Pedro’s day on the calendar, so most of the city was on holiday. Tomorrow we are due to return to the states, so please keep your prayers coming. But more especially, pray for the people of Honduras. All is peaceful here. The police and military are out in force to keep the peace. No where as bad as in the states in the 60’s. No bloodshed, and they, the government is trying to make sure that it stays that way. Let us pray that other countries don’t try to intervene.
I was also forwarded this link with the note that it was written by a friend. I cannot vouch for the writer of the article, however, I can vouch without reservation for my friend who sent the link.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Where were all the “world leaders” while President Manuel Zelaya was leading Honduras towards dictatorship? While he was making alliances unilaterally without the approval of Congress? While he was threatening to fire public employees if they did not support his illegal referendum? While he insulted and snubbed the Supreme Court, the District Attorneys, the mayors, the Congress, the Military, and his own political party? While he broke through the entrance to the Air Force Base and stole public documents? And for all of these illegal activities, he was using the public funds of an already impoverished country. The hospitals are without medications, the schools without materials, the children without food — but the Zelaya family lives like royalty, and “supporters” were being paid up to $50/vote to go to the polls on Sunday.I suppose the Honduran government could have waited around until Zelaya had the power to make people disappear, to “socialize” businesses and basic services, to extort the leaders of other small countries to ally themselves with other dictatorships.
Instead, a peaceful change of government leadership has occurred (when was the last time that happened?). The huge majority of the Honduran people are proud and pleased with the ouster, and looking forward to true, transparent general elections in November. The Supreme Court, Congress, National Attorneys, Military, and yes, even the churches, were united against the referendum and Zelaya’s proposed intention to remain in office for as long as he wanted.
What’s wrong with saying NO before the violence starts? Honduras’ military is keeping the peace. Peaceful civil reform is mighty rare, but it sure beats war and revolution.
Honduras might be a small, poor, insignificant country, but it is demonstrating its right to sovereignty, and its desire to decide its own future — democratically and peacefully.
In the name of God and the Honduran people, let the “world powers” turn their attention elsewhere, or a movement which has been peaceful so far could easily become violent. Think of the irony: “World Powers Violently Restore Wannabe Dictator to Peaceful Central American Country.” Maybe Hilary and Hugo can put their heads together about Iran and North Korea, and leave Honduras in PEACE.
Please join with me in praying for the people of Honduras and for safe travel for my friends.
Bishop Jack Iker has today issued a Memo to All Diocesan Clergy. In recent days I understand that all of you have received two threatening letters from representatives of the rump diocese. The first is a letter from The Rt….
The House of Deputies will be asked to consider meeting in two unusual sessions early in the 76th meeting of the General Convention to discuss Resolution B033 passed by the last convention.
“The purpose of this discussion will be to exchange information and viewpoints among the deputies, and to inform Legislative Committee #8 World Mission, to which committee all the resolutions relative to B033 have been assigned,” House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson wrote in a June 29 letter to deputies and first alternate deputies.
Anderson wrote that she believes the House of Deputies “will benefit by having an opportunity to discuss B033 apart from the context of legislative procedure” and noted that “many deputies have indicated their longing to discuss B033 together as a house.”
Most states have child abuse laws allowing some religious exemptions for parents who shun medicine for their sick children, but a few recent cases highlight thorny legal issues for parents following less-recognized faiths.
Existing laws have gradually accounted for more well-known and established faiths, such as Pentecostalism, Christian Science and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
But recent cases in the news have judges and child care advocates dealing with parents who claim adherence to lesser-known faiths, such as the Minnesota family following an Internet-based group’s American Indian beliefs, and an independent Oregon church that has been investigated in the past for the deaths of members’ sick children.
President Obama has bet the economy on his program to grow the government and finance it with a more progressive tax system. It’s hard to miss the irony that he’s pitching this change in Washington even as the same governance model is imploding in three of the largest American states where it has been dominant for years — California, New Jersey and New York.
A decade ago all three states were among America’s most prosperous. California was the unrivaled technology center of the globe. New York was its financial capital. New Jersey is the third wealthiest state in the nation after Connecticut and Massachusetts. All three are now suffering from devastating budget deficits as the bills for years of tax-and-spend governance come due.
Conservative teachers within the NEA will call for the union to drop its support of abortion.The National Education Association will convene for their national meeting in San Diego July 1-6. Jeralee Smith, one of the co-founders of the NEA Conservative Educators Caucus, says one of the items her group has placed on the agenda is abortion.
“The union contributes to candidates who will maintain the current Roe v. Wade decision and make sure that the abortion industry is alive and well,” she explains. “And this supposedly is done with the portion of union dues that…is optional. But a lot of times we found sneaky ways that the union supports things that we don’t believe in.”
Oh joy — the newly elected Archbishop of Scotland has been in the US for part of May . . . doing media training and networking with other TEC bishops.
I’m here in North Carolina at what they call the Residency for the College of Bishops of The Episcopal Church. That means all the bishops elected during the last three years. This week is the center of the program – each of us has a ‘coaching bishop’ with whom we have a commitment to work throughout the year. In my case, that is a Skype-driven relationship with Bishop Philip Duncan of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast.
So why do this? Two reasons .. the training is excellent. And it’s a chance to build relationships with bishops in The Episcopal Church at a critical and fascinating time. I’m enjoying it.
Yes indeed — he’s learning a lot from the experts . . . on conflict, and the media, and on “Overcoming Organisational Defences.”
Meanwhile it was a day on ‘Overcoming Organisational Defences’ and an exploration of how we deal with conflict. Tomorrow a full day of high quality media training.
And of course, the continuing need for simultaneous translation ..
Hot Button Issues – self-evident
Push Back – as in ‘I’ll give you a bit of push back on that’ – meaning ’some space to adjust so that you feel more comfortable
Take-away – what I learned from this
I’ve always loved the American language. I used to be on the e mail network of the Bay Area Tandem Club – so that I could follow in spirit at least their expeditions to Sonoma and Sausalito. Their Sunday morning run – for which I was unavailable – was always a ‘Show and Go’
And then of course the networking .. which is unsurpassed.
I know you will be shocked to hear the Simple Country Bishop (SCB) was not in New Hampshire this past weekend.
A new North American group claiming to embrace “traditional Anglican values” will not last long, the Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop has predicted.Bishop Gene Robinson, an openly homosexual man living openly with a partner, whose 2003 consecration as bishop of the diocese of New Hampshire created a backlash among traditional believers within the U.S., church, told Ecumenical News International he does not believe the new Anglican grouping has long-term viability.
Here’s the latest pearl of wisdom to drop from his mouth.
“A church that does not ordain women or openly gay people – I don’t see a future for that,” Robinson told ENI after delivering a sermon on 28 June at the First Presbyterian Church in New York City during the city’s annual gay pride festivities.
Heavens to Betsy – has anyone told the Pope?
Belatedly posted news from earlier this month, from the church’s website:
Bishop David is widely known in the Church as a communicator. He is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio Scotland’s ‘Thought for the Day’. He writes a blog at www.bishopdavid.net and believes that bishops should use today’s means of communication to carry the message of the Church. Born in Dublin in 1951, Bishop David grew up in Northern Ireland. He studied at Trinity College, Dublin and Oriel College, Oxford.
His training for ministry was at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, in the Church of England. Ordained in Belfast in 1976, much of his working life has been spent at the heart of the Northern Ireland conflict. His work in parish ministry was consistently focused on the challenge of reconciliation and the problems of sectarianism. He also served as Church of Ireland Youth Officer from 1979-1983. Before moving to Scotland in 2005, he was for 19 years Rector of Seagoe Parish Church in Portadown and Archdeacon of Dromore.
Since coming to the Diocese of St Andrews, Bishop David has worked with clergy and others to carry out a major review of the life of the diocese and its congregations. This has led to the Casting the Net initiative which was launched in every church of the diocese on Pentecost Sunday, 31st May. Casting the Net is a movement of mission and growth – it encourages clergy and people to reach out into the communities in which they live.